The Frozen Prophecy
by Snow Shadow 17
Summary: Tara Skywalker is captured by Darth Vader during the frantic escape on Hoth. Meanwhile she finds out she is the one described in a mysterious prophecy. Palpatine orders Vader to bring Tara to him, but will he comply? Or will his love for his daughter break free? Set in TESB. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Read **A New Life** before reading this to get more background on Tara. Thank you to Marchonea and Sionna Dehr for beta-reading these chapters.

Tara Skywalker darted through the icy halls of the collapsing rebel base towards the hangar where the Millennium Falcon awaited her, her boots thumping heavily against the compressed snow and ice beneath her. Through the clouds created by her breath in the cold air Tara could make out the outlines of her companions, Han Solo and Leia Organa, approaching her as they too ran towards their salvation. Her breath was short and her thighs ached with the speed of her sprint. Despite the freezing conditions of the icy planet, Tara felt uncomfortably warm in her thick clothes as she pushed her muscles to the limit.

All of a sudden, an unpleasant shudder that had nothing to do with the cold rippled through Tara's body, her senses tingling sharply as her mind brushed that of Darth Vader. She pushed her heavy limbs even harder, slipping slightly on the icy floor and panting as the all too familiar tinge of panic gripped her stomach. She could not meet Vader yet. All she had to do was get onto a ship, any ship. If she could get that far, Tara thought, the rest of her flight from the Imperials would be relatively easy. At least she would be able to stop sprinting.

Her flushed skin prickled sharply as the Force flared, warning Tara of imminent danger. Leaping into the air, the jedi girl hurled herself forward, but it was too late. Lumps of jagged, rock hard ice tumbled down from the ceiling, seeming to fall in slow motion as several of the chunks hurtled towards Tara's airborne body. The debris hit home with a flurry of snow and ice, burying and crushing Tara's right leg with a sharp crack of bone, dragging her down onto the slippery floor with a resounding thud.

A terrible scream of unbridled pain ripped its way out of Tara's throat as blindingly hot, white pain shot through her bones. The boulders of ice which had buried themselves and her leg into the floor were already starting to turn pink as hot blood spilled freely from her wound. The intense pain clouded Tara's thoughts as she screwed her eyes shut, her face crumpling and her teeth biting hard into her lower lip to hold back further cries.

Fighting the wooziness filling her mind, she reached out and called upon the Force, using it to dull the terrible pain. This was not good, Tara thought as her mind cleared slightly. She tasted more blood in her mouth from where her teeth had bitten into her lip. Its metallic zing gave her mouth an unsanitary feel.

"Tara!" Leia voice was filled with concern as the young rebel furiously dashed to the blonde's side, skirting the other chunks of icy ceiling that had fallen.

"Your Worship, we need to hurry! We can't have any more delays! Get her out, quickly, or we'll have to leave her behind!" Han shouted, gesturing furiously with his hand. Tara forced her eyes open and raised her head to look at Leia. The rebel's soft brown eyes were glistening brightly with worry and fear in equal measure, all directed at the jedi rather than her own dire situation.

"No! There's no time. You guys go ahead and get out of here on the Falcon. I'll get myself out of this ice in no time, then its just a matter of grabbing another ship. I'll be fine." Tara managed to gasp, trying to grin reassuringly but only managing a feeble smile. Leia stared wide eyed at her friend in awe, her mouth opening and closing in a guppy-like fashion as she tried to process Tara's strong words.

"Oh my! Mistress Tara, you've been injured! How dreadful!" C3PO exclaimed, throwing his golden arms up above his head as far as they would go. The translator droid began walking as fast as his hydraulic legs could carry him over to the trapped blonde.

"Y-you are not fine! I'm getting you out!" Leia stuttered, already starting to dislodge large chunks of the debris pinning Tara in place. Large brown eyes shone with a gleam of tears as she dug through the white and pibk mess holding Tara in place with reckless abandon.

The jedi girl desperately wanted to be free from her freezing prison but she knew it would take too long. All of them would be captured by the Imperials if they were to help her. It didn't matter what happened to her, selflessness was the jedi way after all. What was more important was that her friends escaped, that they got back to the rebels and continued to fight against the Empire. Tara's mind was made up, her decision crystal clear.

"Go!" She shouted desperately, using the Force to throw her friends away from her, into the hangar bay and to close the blast doors behind them. She winced, knowing her shove had not made for a gentle landing, but it could not be avoided. Leia would never have left of her own volition, not in the mindset she had been in. Tara knew full well that she was a long way from fine, but that did not mean she was willing to let her friends get captured by Vader and his army of stormtroopers. She could not bear the thought of what the Empire would do with those guys in their clutches.

Sensing a squad of stormtroopers rushing towards her position through the icy maze of corridors, Tara twisted her body around and delivered a powerful Force push to the ice blocks burying her leg. The ice wobbled for a moment then flew the other way, colliding against the wall with a resounding crash. Tara rolled over on her back, then used some of the fallen ceiling to haul herself shakily to her feet.

Despite leaning most of her weight against the carved ice walls, Tara's injured leg throbbed and sporadic bouts of crippling pain obscured her vision. Black dots danced against her eyelids as she limped along the corridor, biting into her bleeding lip once more as shrieks threatened to slip free of her throat. Tears filled her vision and froze in shiny streaks on her cheeks as she continued to make slow progress, fighting against the pain in her leg with each step.

Tara was not ready to meet Vader. Not now, not ever. Not after all that he had done. The mere thought of having to confront him face to face was what gave her the strength to haul her broken body further down the icy passage, heading towards the recently closed hangar bay door The sound of heavy duty boots stomping against the icy ground grew louder and Tara quickened her pace with a determined grimace. She opened the blast door with a sharp shove of the Force and pushed herself through the entryway, glancing with trepidation over her shoulder as she limped forward. She was in no state to fight if the stormtroopers managed to get behind her.

"At last we meet again, young Skywalker," a booming voice stated with a cool, robotic indifference. Tara's body froze and she found herself unable to move as the panic that had been eating through her gut shot through the rest of her walls seemed to surround her and trap her in place as her heart fluttered against her ribcage. Tara snapped her eyes shut and took a deep breath, not to help with the pain but as a result of instinct. Only the loud breathing of Vader's respirator interrupted the silence that filled every inch of the icy cavern.

_No, this can't be happening. It can't! This is just another of my nightmares. There's no way that this is real._ Tara's mind entered overdrive as it fought both pain and reality, trying desperately to escape the disturbing truth. But this was not just a nightmare, Tara knew. This time she wouldn't wake up in a cold sweat. This time it was for real, the waves of pain coming from her leg assured her of that.

She spun around and started to hobble as fast as she could back towards the corridor, only to end up sprawled on her stomach; she had slipped on the transparent, slippery ice that coated the floor. Tara could feel her father's determination radiating off of him in dark, oppressive waves that shook the Force. He was willing to do almost anything to capture her and turn her to the Dark Side. The heavy aura pushed hard against the confines of her mind, but the young Jedi wasn't going down without a fight. Not today, not to Vader, even in her injured state.

Jerkily, she lurched back to her feet, despite her leg's desperate and painful protests, and faced the mechanical man with as neutral an expression as she could bear to muster. Tara fought to ignore the pain coursing down through her nerves, gritting her teeth as she faced the monster that had once been her father. Her lightsaber flew from her belt, a pure white blade shooting out from the handle the moment the device came to lie in her outstretched palm. The familiar metal hilt of her weapon felt cool but not cold in her sweaty grasp as she moved into the ready position.

"You are in no position to fight my stormtroopers, let alone me," Vader's menacing voice echoed through the icy cavern once more. A blood red blade sprouted from the handle of his own lightsaber with a hiss. It was the same one used to kill her friend and mentor, Obi Wan Kenobi, and it brought back many unpleasant memories of the Death Star. Tara's grip on her own weapon tightened, her knuckles turning white as she fought to control herself and her anger.

"The condition I'm in doesn't matter, I'm still more human than you! That's enough to give me the edge any day."

Tara tried to sound bold but her voice came out in a weak whimper. Vader lunged forward and attacked with astronomical strength and velocity, almost wrenching her own weapon from her grasp as Tara struggled to meet the war hero gone bad stroke for stroke. She drew on the Force to speed up her reactions as she parried and blocked blows that, had they landed would surely have been fatal. Their lightsabers clashed repeatedly with loud sizzles, creating arcs of light as they fought.

"I recognized your use of Form III, Soresu. It only delays the inevitable." Vader informed Tara, their blades of crimson and white locking with another loud clash right before her face. The sparks the clash produced reminded Tara of the icy cage she had freed herself from but minutes before, turning pink as her blood shot through it.

Vader drove Tara back blow after blow, but she no longer cared much for his actions. She had one surprise left up her sleeve, one which in her weakened condition she was banking her very survival upon. Gathering the Force around her, Tara deactivated her lightsaber. She smiled at Vader as she suddenly vanished completely into thin air. Hidden beneath her Force cloak, Tara hooked her lightsaber back onto her belt and leant heavily against the smooth cut wall. She took the time this manoeuvre bought her to dull the pain in her leg further and to rest her beaten up body, knowing it would be harder for Vader to find her now even with the aid of the Force.

Vader stopped attacking the instant she shut off her lightsaber, a look of bewilderment forming beneath the mask as she vanished from all his senses. The expression was as invisible to Tara through the black mask as she was to Vader's own eyes.

"What?! No! You can't be the one!" He yelled, letting awe and surprise colour his usually lifeless voice. Could his daughter really be the one described in the Prophecy?

"What're you talking about? Who's 'the one'?," Tara inquired, arching an eyebrow while starting to limp away from him under cover of her Force cloak. She was stunned, completely lost on what he was referring to. Some of her pain seemed to melt away as intrigue crept into her mind. _Who's 'the one'? Why is my use of Force cloak so strange to him, I know it's not common but he must have seen it used before, surely?_

Tara's eagerness to escape Vader's clutches kept her going, fighting against the pain and intrigue which would otherwise have slowed her down. She had to escape and fast; she couldn't take looking at that mask for much longer. It brought back too many memories of the past, both pleasant and horrifying.

"Set to stun and open fire!" Vader roared without warning. The stormtroopers she had sensed earlier gad caught up whilst they were duelling and were now setting their guns to comply with her father's command. Vader lifted his still active lightsaber and waved it in Tara's approximate direction. _By the Force! Why does he have to be so persistent?_ Tara thought as a flurry of blue stun bolts sped towards her.

She increased her speed, dragging her leg behind her as she raced to try and get away. However, it was not enough as several beams of blue found their target. Tara's prone form reappeared mid flight, slumping down to the hard ground as a red stain began to spread from her leg into the ice and snow once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Sapphire blue eyes flew open, blinking rapidly against the harsh glow from florescent lights set into the ceiling. Tara drowsily rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, yawning widely as she forced herself upright. The sweet emptiness of sleep called to her from the warm pillow at her back, but with the resolve of a selfless jedi she left its delicious comfort behind. Stretching her arms above her head, Tara fought off the last fuzzy tendrils of sleep that clogged her brain.

_The fight. _Suddenly wide awake, Tara's hand flew to her hips. A small groan of acceptance escaped her as she discovered the familiar cool of her lightsaber was missing. It must have been confiscated when Vader brought her in. Filled with fresh resolve, Tara's eyes began to scour the room for a means of escape. Her mind quickly abandoned this notion, however, as she saw that her prison was not the dank cell she had been expecting. Instead of a dank interrogation cell, she found herself in a sparse but comfortable bedroom.

The room was an image in grey and black, looking dark even beneath the bright white lights. Tara found herself sat on a comfortable single bed pushed up against the wall, decked out in shimmering black fabrics. Across the small, rectangular room was a metallic box that looked suspiciously like a closet. One of the remaining two sides of the room stood empty, displaying the harsh metal wall of an Imperial star ship. The other held a heavy, dark metal door that was firmly shut, buried deep into the floor. This was definitely a holding cell of some kind, despite the indulgent furnishings.

The jedi girl ran her hand across the black fabric surrounding her. The covers felt silky and soft, warmed by her body heat. The cloth looked expensive, which was a confusing combination. _A luxury prison cell - whoever would have thought? _Throwing back the covers, Tara swung her legs over the side of the bed. Feeling no pain from her leg, she hesitantly peered down towards her bare feet. Her eyes nearly popped free of her head as she twisted her right leg this way and that.

Aside from some minor bruising her leg appeared to be fully healed. It was almost as if nothing had happened on the icy planet. Vader must have ordered his medics to treat her injured leg... but why? _How many weeks was I asleep? Two? Three? It can't possibly have been four!_ Her lack of knowledge flustered her even more. It was highly possible that Luke, Leia and the others were already dead. Stuck here in a prison cell, Tara could only guess at what might have happened to the Rebels in her absence.

Yet even more confusing to Tara were the words Vader had said before giving the order to have her captured:

_"What?! No! You can't be the one!"_

_"You can't be the one!"_Those five small words echoed loudly through Tara's mind as she sat motionless in the silent room. The only real sound was the soft electrical humming of the Star Destroyer, but to Tara the room was suddenly all too loud. She heard only that mechanical voice ringing in her head. His voice, tinged with surprise. Her father's voice, coloured with emotion for the first time since Anakin Skywalker died.

_"You can't be the one!" _The one. Who, and what, was 'The One'? The more Tara thought about it, the fuzzier her mind became. It was as if a cloud settled over her, filling her with confusion as she hit dead end after dead end. The harder she tried to concentrate on the question, the worse her inner interference became. Tara just could not come up with an answer.

Shakily, her muscles shouted at her due to lack of use, Tara pushed herself off of the bed and padded softly across the tiny room. The floor was warm under her feet, vibrating ever so slightly with the natural hum all space craft possessed. Resting her hand on the cold, smooth handle of the closet, she hesitated. Anything could be behind that door for all she knew. She was, after all, an Imperial prisoner now.

Steeling her resolve, Tara tightened her grip and swung the door wide open. To her relief, the closet was exactly what is had seemed. It held multiple racks, lined with black flowing robes and tunics in various styles and sizes. She shook her head, sighing, and closed the door._What is it with the Sith? Don't they ever get bored of black, black, black? Maybe that's why the stormtroopers still wear white, to break up the monotony a little bit._She pondered this thought in mild amusement, returning to the bed.

Pulling the cover across and straightening the pillow, Tara sat down glumly. She was still wearing some of her under layers from Hoth. Though the right leg of her trousers had been cleanly cut away to allow access to her wound, much of the clothing seemed untouched. Curious fingers dove into a hidden pocket of her top, wrapping around a small crystal concealed within. A smirk slipped onto her face as she drew it out of the pocket. It was no victory, but Tara was glad she had managed to outwit her captors in some small way.

She held the crystal between her thumb and finger, twirling it slightly so that the facets caught the light. She didn't care if the guards saw her on their monitors. If things went as she hoped she would be out of this dismal place at the first opportunity anyway. The crystal glowed with an inner light, shining bright blue in the midst of black and grey. It was a luminous lightsaber crystal, though without the rest of the weapon it was useless. Still smiling as she pocketed it once more, Tara thought back to when she had found the precious item on Hoth:

_Tara rode on a tauntaun through the swirling snow storm, the wind whipping a few loose strands of hair across her face. The flurry was so thick that she could barely see the tauntaun's head, let alone their surroundings. Out of the icy screen there suddenly loomed a dark, foreboding shape. Intrigued, Tara spurred the tauntaun onwards and found herself before an ancient looking cave of ice and snow. Being the curious and adventurous person she was, Tara decided to investigate the cave further. _

_Dismounting, she carefully tied the tauntaun to a pinnacle of ice at the cave's mouth before she carefully ventured inside. Warily eyeing the giant, needle-like icicles that coated the roof of the cave, Tara lowered her breathing and trod lightly on the snow, calling upon the force to keep her from sinking into the knee-deep drifts. The less she disturbed the cave, the higher the chances of getting out without becoming a Tara-shaped kebab._

_The further she walked, the more beautiful her surroundings became. The pull of the raging wind outside lessened to the extent where Tara felt safe to free her head from her goggles and hood. Unhindered by the clothes, she gasped at the sight before her. The cavern was huge, stretching far beyond her range of vision, the view farther in warped in the clear surface of many crystal-like icicles stretching between the ceiling and the floor. _

_The walls were faintly lit as some sunlight penetrated the thick, ancient ice, tingeing the whole cave shades of blue and white. Tara was rooted to the spot by the beauty of the formation, paying no heed as she slowly sank into the thick snow drifts, her shoes filling with snow and becoming wet as her body heat began to melt it away. Her nose turned pink as the frosty air nipped at it, her cheeks flushed red as her skin tried to keep warm. _

_Crystals of ice began to form on her eyelashes, yet Tara remained transfixed. Ever since she had first encountered snow and ice, she had loved it. Her eyes, so accustomed to the sands of Tatooine, drank in the sight before her as a parched man would fresh water._  
_As she admired the cave, something caught her eye. A patch of snow not five feet from her was shining bright blue. Much of the cave floor was blue due to the light streaming through the ice walls, but this patch seemed to be illuminated from beneath. _

_As curiosity bloomed within her, Tara carefully picked her way over to the strange snow. Crouching, she began to sift through the snow, quickly confirming her hunch. The snow as not glowing, but the deeper she dug into the drift the brighter the light became. Something lay beneath her fingers, and she was determined to discover what it was. Removing her gloves in order to keep them mostly dry, Tara continued her excavation with bare hands. A few minutes into her dig, something sharp nicked her finger. _

_The jedi suppressed a yelp of surprise, mindful of the deadly ceiling hanging above her head. Popping her bleeding finger into her mouth, Tara lifted the offending object out of the snow. Between her thumb and forefinger rested a bright blue crystal, emitting a strong glow. Her eyes widened as she felt the Force pulse against her hand. There was no doubt, Tara had found a lightsaber crystal._

_Several beeps came from the comm on her wrist, startling her. Tucking the crystal safely away, she pulled her gloves back on and answered the call, glancing up at the - still undisturbed - ceiling._

_"Tara, where are you?" Leia's voice sounded tinny and stressed as it came through the comm. "Everyone's waiting, I've already held for twenty minutes and tensions are rising!"_

_Tara's only response was silence. A sigh came from the other end of the comm link before Leia's voice returned to the cave, tinted with a disappointed reservation._

_"You forgot we had a meeting again, didn't you?" Tara grimaced audibly. Now Leia mentioned it, the jedi girl could recall the planet-less princess telling her about some meeting before she set out. With her discovery of the cave, the gathering had completely slipped her mind._

_"Err... Sorry?" Tara replied guiltily, hurriedly fixing her gloves in place and standing. As she began to stuff her head back beneath the layers of her hood, Leia's voice came through the comm once more._

_"__Just get here as soon as possible, ok?" _

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Vader strode towards the holo-projector pod where he would make contact with the Emperor, black-clad feet clicking sharply against the floor. He bowed his head in submission, sinking onto one knee as a larger than life hologram of the Emperor appeared.

"What is so important it requires my attention?" Sidious spat in an impatient tone, his figure stiffly aloof. His icy aura seemed to seep through the holographic link, brushing against Vader so forcefully he could almost feel it blow across his remaining skin.

"Forgive me, my master, but I have succeeded in capturing Skywalker." He paused, respirator rasping through the silence. "I believe she may be the one described in The Prophecy." He chose his words carefully, betraying no emotion in his filtered voice. Sidious let a small smile play across his face, his holographic countenance flickering softly.

"Good, very good. You have done well Lord Vader. Bring her to me. Then we shall see if she truly is the one." Sidious commanded him stiffly, voice filled with authority, yet edged with an almost psychotic glee. The lilt in his voice was slight, but to Vader it was obvious.

"Master, if she could be turned... She would become a powerful ally." Vader suggested. Sidious tilted his head slightly as he considered this.

"Perhaps. But be wary Lord Vader, I sense a great disturbance in the Force. The young Rebel who destroyed the Death Star, I am certain he to is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker." Sidious informed his apprentice, a wicked smirk twisting his thin lips grotesquely.

Anger bubbled up in Vader at the mention of his old name, swelling from deep within his constructed body, a piece of humanity he desperately pretended did not exist. Obi Wan had hidden his son from him. His anger twisted into burning hatred. How dare he do such a thing.

A memory of Padme, his beautiful angel, burned behind his wrecked eyelids. She must have survived his mindless attack on Mustafar long enough to give birth to the child she bore within her. His son. Their second child. Perhaps she had lived for long enough to forgive him... Renewed hope burst from his wretched human heart, but he pushed it down. He relished in the crushing pain of defeat as he reminded himself who had killed - no, thoughtlessly murdered - his angel. That life was over. The name Anakin no longer held any meaning for him. There was no turning back.  
"How is that possible?" Vader asked, intrigued. His voice came clear and empty through the mask. None but he could hear the true emotion buried underneath as, in his heart, Anakin mourned for his angel.

"Search your feelings, Lord Vader. You know it to be true. The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi otherwise he could destroy us," Sidious replied slowly, aptly observing Vader's reaction to the bombshell.

"He's just a boy. Obi Wan can no longer help him." Vader retorted in defense of his new found son. Parental feelings weren't really on his list of emotions, but rather indignation sparked his retort. He would not be defeated by his own son, a half-trained child left without a teacher to guide him down the path of the light.

"If he to could be turned, he would be a great asset. Can this be done?" Sidious spoke cooly, eyeing Vader with beady eyes as he hid his inner joy at the prospect of two new Sith.

"The children of Skywalker will join us or die, master."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Escape. Tara had to escape before he came back. Closing her eyes, she extended her senses to encompass the area beyond her cell door and down the hall.

_No__. _Vader was marching along the corridor towards her cell, mechanical legs ensuring his regular pace. His Force presence shone darkly, sending bright spots of fear dancing behind Tara's eyelids. Her icy blue eyes snapped open and darted around the room, searching for an escape route. They found nothing. All she could do was wait for the inevitable.

Anticipation ate at Tara's gut as his Force presence grew stronger, more defined. Her fingernails dug into the soft mattress beneath her and she wished she was some place else. Even the desolate sands of Tatooine sounded good right now. Her Force-enhanced senses picked up on Vader's clicking footsteps as he drew to a stop by her door. she gulped, suppressing her fear as much as she could. The heavy door groaned then slid open with a whoosh. Illuminated from behind by the stark hallway lights, blocking the only way out of the cell, stood what remained of Tara's father.


	3. Chapter 3

Tara suddenly became very interested in the floor and stared down at it unable to meet Vader's glossy black mask. She dreaded at what he was going to say.

"You are to come with me to Coruscant to meet the Emperor," Vader demanded coldly.

A lump of pure dread formed in her throat and the blood rush from her face. As realization set in, Tara dug her fingernails further into the mattress and her heart pounded so loudly she was sure it was about to explode if not calmed down.

She did not want to meet the emperor. Ever. If the emperor was able to turn the strong hero of the Clone Wars to the Dark Side then he could probably turn her too.

"No, I'm not," she retorted speaking her thoughts, finally able to look up at Vader. She knew he wouldn't listen to pleas but tried anyways.

"Yes you are!" Vader barked impatiently.

He strode forward, his form looming over the young woman like a tower, and yanked her off the bed like a doll, pulling her arm towards him. Something silver gleamed in the corner of Tara's eye and her head moved to see what it was. There were two lightsabers hooked to his belt; one of them was hers. It came to life in her outstretched hand and she swept it in a circular motion in order to get Vader off. He ducked just in time and activated his own angry red lightsaber.

He swung with hard blows and Tara used superhuman reflexes to deflect each of them. She called on the Force to guide her strikes as they continued to duel out of the room. Their blades of light locked in a clash, sparks flying off into the Executor's hallway.

Now was her chance. Tara could Force push Vader away and dash down the corridor at lightning speed while using Force cloak but it was also the perfect chance to tell him something that had been nagging at the back of her mind since Order 66.

"You don't have to do this, you know? You can just come away with me, leave and go to a remote planet like Y-" Tara quickly clamped her mouth shut hoping he didn't notice what was almost said.

Her mind jumped from scene to scene to what could possibly happen next. Escape sounded like a much better option now.

"Now you have betrayed yet another Jedi. Where is he?" Vader chuckled coldly, delighted in his daughter's slip in words. Nothing came in between him and a Jedi. He hated them more than Tatooine now.

He attacked with greater fury and she had to immerse deeper in the Force, making her actions flow in liquid grace. He pushed her further down the hall as crew members doing their duty stared at them in a curious expression.

"Who are you talking about? Which Jedi?" she asked nervously, arching an eyebrow to complete the act which was trying to stall him.

"You know who I'm talking about," he snapped with annoyance in his voice.

With great anger, he knocked Tara's lightsaber from her grip and blocked all possible escape routes with his blade. His hot red blade inched towards Tara's neck.. The heat from it singed her neck causing the owner of it to shift uncomfortably.

"Um...one with the Force. He died a long time ago," Tara replied confidently hoping he would buy the statement.

/Tara?/

Her eyes widened and her head was brought slightly forward, shaking it in disbelief. _Was that Luke's voice_? Tara heard Vader yelling in anger but his words blurred as her mind was elsewhere, too focused on this mysterious voice.

/Tara, are you there?/

There it was again! This time she was certain it was Luke. His voice rang loud and clear as if he was speaking right next to her. _Where did he learn how to use the Force like that? Obi Wan only taught him a little bit._

/Lu-/

Without warning, a fiery red searing pain disrupted her train of thoughts as an ear piercing screamed erupted from her vocal chords. The pain worsened, radiating through her nerves. Tara's legs suddenly felt like jello and she crumpled down, quickly bringing a hand to clutch her right shoulder Where the pain seemed to be coming from. Her vision swam and she fought to stay awake.

"Where is he?" Vader screamed with boiling rage.

Inside his mask, he looked ready to Force choke someone to death. All of his crewmen stayed out of sight from him from fear of death. This had gotten out of hand. He roughly lifted Tara's head with one gloved finger to meet his black eyeholes.

"You're a monster," she whispered.

Her words acted like a punch to his bare head as he stepped back stunned.

_You're a monster. _

_You're a monster. _

_You're a monster._

Tara's voice echoed in his ears, hauntingly. His lightsaber dropped with a clunk on the polished floor skidding to a stop after traveling a yard's length. Ripples of distress and guilt flowed from him leaving the young woman's thoughts baffled. _Why was he guilty? He had ruthlessly hunted down and killed many Jedi without a thought. Why was he guilty over injuring me? _

Renewed hope flickered inside of her. He was starting to come back to the light.

He pushed the feelings deep down where they belonged. This was not going to happen just because his daughter was hurt. He was the Dark Lord of the Sith and Sith did not feel guilt nor distress.

Tara curled into a ball on the floor, hoping this would ease the pain. It did not and instead the movement made it worse. Vader motioned for two stormtroopers to come and they hurriedly marched closer, blocking her view of the corridor lights.

"Take her to sick bay. Have the medics there treat her," he ordered them before turning on his heels and striding to the turbo lift.

He commanding his lightsaber and Tara's to his gloved hand.

"Don't touch me," she told them with a hoarse voice.

They ignored Tara's whispered plea and roughly hauled her to her feet dragging Tara.

A bright blue lightsaber crystal fell from a unzipped pocket making a faint tinkling sound as it made contact with the smooth white floor. He stopped abruptly and called the glowing crystal into his hand with the Force, giving it a quick glance before sticking it into a pocket.

The Jedi's surroundings dimmed as the throbbing in her shoulder intensified. She soon gave in to unconsciousness and drifted off into the sweet nothingness of oblivion.

AN: The next chapter will be completely about Luke and Vader.


	4. Chapter 4

Vader strode his way to the bridge, stepping out of the turbo lift. He headed straight to the front and stared at the deep emptiness of space, ignoring his crewmen. His consciousness itched to go to sickbay just to see his daughter but he knew that wouldn't be appropriate. Compassion and sympathy was not something a Sith Lord felt and he could not appear soft in front of his crew.

Still, emotions swirled inside Vader and numerous memories clouded his thoughts.

He did not want to bring Tara nor his son, Luke, to the emperor but he had to. If he did not obey Palpatine then he would be punished along with his children to bring him more pain. There was no turning back now. Not after all the harm he brought to the galaxy.

Vader shoved these thoughts down and turned to Admiral Piett.

"Set a course for Coruscant," he snapped before turning back to his original position.

"My Lord, there's a ship exiting hyperspace. It's X-Wing class," Admiral Piett told him confidently, reading the information off a screen.

Vader immediately sensed his son's bright presence through the Force and began marching towards the turbo lift.

"Allow the rebel to land and monitor him. Do not enter hyperspace yet. I will meet him in the hangar," he said before the lift doors closed.

_Soon, you will be with me._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Well, that's interesting. Why aren't they attacking?" Luke asked to himself, peering in awe at the enormous size of the Executor which was shaped like a giant gray arrowhead. He sensed his sister's Force signature inside the Super Star Destroyer.

While mentally communicating with Tara, he felt a sudden burning pain. This provoked him to the point where he couldn't concentrate on the tasks Yoda gave him. Much to the disappointment of his master, he set off to find his sister.

He worried for his sister and feared the worst, frowning at the thought. But her Force signature glowed like a star in space so this couldn't be true. He shivered thinking about what Vader did to cause her pain.

Unfortunately, he could also sense Vader.

Luke expertly flew his ship inside the Executor's hanger. Its engines roared and came to a stop, letting the ship rest on the floor.

"Here goes nothing. Now you stay here," he said, pointing a finger at his droid before pressing the button that allowed the cockpit's glass panel to yawn open.

As Luke's boots hit the floor, he turned around. Vader was standing in front of Luke with several squads of stormtroopers behind him.

Luke's right hand flew to his lightsaber, debating whether to take it off his belt or not. Vader activated his crimson lightsaber with a snap hiss. Seeing this, Luke's lightsaber came to life and he lunged at Vader arcing it before bringing it down. The blow was easily blocked by the Dark Lord and he swung back with his own set of attacks.

"What did you do to my sister?" Luke asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Yes. Release your anger towards me. Only your hatred can defeat me," Vader said disregarding Luke's question.

He knocked his son's lightsaber from his hand with an especially hard strike and pointed his blade at Luke's chin.

Luke was feeling true panic now. He trembled, carefully sliding away from Vader's angry red blade pointed at him. The blade's heat singed his tender skin causing him to wince. Luke gave a quick glance to his fallen lightsaber, calling it to his hand but Vader cut it in half with his blade before he was able to clamp his hand around it. The action sent the two halves skittering across the polished floor.

Luke gulped in fear his eyes widening. He was defenseless now against Vader's wrath. He stood up slowly and took a step back, bumping into the wall. He suddenly realized he had nowhere to go and trying to get anywhere would cause more harm than good.

"Obi Wan never told you what happened to your father," Vader stated.

"He told me enough! He told me you killed him!" Luke retorted, glaring defiantly at Vader.

"Obi Wan was a fool and a liar. That is not true. I am your father," Vader declared clenching his fist at what Obi Wan told his own son.

"No! No! That's impossible! No!" Luke shouted, refusing to accept the fact the man he hated most was his father.

He shook his head wildly, his icy blue eyes wide with horror, before darting away.

Luke had always wished for a father. One that would pick him up and take him to see the galaxy in all its wonder. One that would read him bedtime stories when he was young and cradle him when he was hurt. But now, he wished he was truly an orphan. Vader could not be his father. He refused to be the son of such a monster.

But somehow this made sense. This revelation was the last piece of the puzzle. How his Aunt and Uncle deliberately avoided talking about his father and how his sister refused to acknowledge her father all made sense now.

Luke would have to ask his sister. Tara would know better than him since she was born a few years earlier. She would know the truth beneath all this madness. His heart ached to know the truth.

"Capture him but I want him unharmed!" Vader roared at his stormtroopers anger seeping into his voice.

His son's refusal to accept the truth angered him. Vader finally deactivated his lightsaber and stormed off to the bridge, his cape billowing behind him.

Vader stared out at the white land mass peeking out from under the swirling clouds at the bridge. He had managed not to make the same mistake with his son as he had his daughter. But this was not over yet. Vader still had to bring his children to the emperor, something he did not want to do.

Never the less, Vader still wondered if Tara was the one in the prophecy. He wondered if the prophecy itself was a rumor, one that someone made up. But it couldn't just be a rumor because Tara's two qualities matched up with the prophecy: her white lightsaber and her ability to use Force cloak. White lightsaber were rare and the Jedi seldom found a lightsaber crystal that produced a white blade.

He shook his head. There was still one thing missing from the picture. He needed to know if his daughter could make snow and ice appear out of thin air. So far in both fights, she didn't use this special power. Either she didn't want to or could not.

Please review! I would greatly appreciate it if you do.


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